Double-deck holder



July 15, 1952 E. EDWARDS DOUBLE-DECK HOLDER Filed Jan. 29, 1951 Elbe/f E. Edwards INVENTOR.

Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED; S-TAT Es P NT.

TDQUBLEPDECK HOLDERY I ElbertE. Edwards, Bigelow, Minn. 'ApplicationJal mary 29, 1951, Serial No. 208,416

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in holding devices'and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a device-for holding deck forming planks in parallel horizontal channels mounted on the side walls of a double deck stock truck above the' floor boards thereof and which channels face inwardly toward the center of the truck to receive 'the ends of deck forming planks. v

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a chock block composed of a pair of gripping jaws that are urged'apart by a manually actuated cam located betweenthe jaws of the channel.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a. double deck holder or chock block for stock cars or trucks including a plurality of juxtaposed wear strips of various thicknesses that are individually removable between the cam and one of the jaws, to vary the maximum spreading of the jaws to thereby permit use of the device in plank receiving channels of various thicknesses.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a double deck holder that is extremely simple and practical in construction and which is quickly and readily slipped into the plank receiving channels of a stock car or truck to be manually actuated in a convenient manner.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a side wall of a stock car or truck with planks received in one channel of the car and held in place by the present holding device;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3--3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the rear upper portion of a stock truck and showing the present invention applied thereto.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present in vention, the numeral l represents the side walls of the bed of a stock car or truck that support parallel horizontal channels I2. Channels l2 are disposed above the floor of the stock car and face 5 Claims. (c1.1o5-'-3'zo) inwardly toward the center of the car to receive the ends of planks or decking l4 disposed laterally of the car.

The present invention consists of a pair of identical chock blocks or. holding devices lBthat are slipped into the rear ends of the channels l2 to abut the ends of the rearmost plank to retain the planks in abutting relation'and against endwise movement in one direction Each of the chock blocks'includesupper and lowerchannels shaped jaws l Band-20 whose webs are notched. at their: forward ends to accommodate the upper'and lower Jendsoi a connecting link 22. The ends of the'link :22rare vertically slotted to accommodate upper and-lower horizontal pins 24 and. 26 carried by the forward ends of terminal hooks of a coil spring 28 that resiliently connects and yieldingly urges the jaws I8 and 20 together.

An upper plate 30 is suitably fixed within the upper jaw l8 and a lower plate 32 is suitably fixed within the lower jaw 20. The plates3fl and 32 are provided with registering openings 34 and 36 in which a cam 38 is positioned for rotation. The cam 38 is rigidly attached to or forms an integral part of the shank of a headed fastener 40 that extends transversely across the jaws l8 and 20.

A wear strip or block 42 is positioned in the jaw is above the plate 30 and a plurality of juxtaposed wear or spacer strips 44 are positioned in the jaw 20 beneath the plate 32. The strips 42 are similar in length and width but vary in thickness and the strips 42 are individually removable to vary the spreading of the jaws l8 and 20 and thereby permit the device It to be employed with channels I2 whose vertical dimensions vary.

The spring 28 in addition to urging the jaws l8 and 20 together, also prevents rearward sliding movement of the strips 42 and 44 and thereby acts as a retainer or confiner for the spacer strips 42, 44.

The exterior surfaces of the webs of the channel shaped jaws are formed with hearing lugs or protuberances 4B and 48 that will bear against the upper and lower flanges of the channel l2 in which the jaws are received.

In practical use of the present invention, a holding device i6 is inserted into the rear end of each of thechannels l2 and the fasteners 40 of the devices l6 are rotated by a wrench or the like to cause the cam 38 to ride against the wear strips 42, 44 and spread the jaws I8, 20 with the lugs 46, 48 gripping the upper and lower flanges of the channels 12. It is preferred that the high points of the cams 38 be formed with flattened surfaces permitting the cams to be retained against accidental rotation when they are moved to their jaw spreading position.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A chock block comprising a pair of channel shaped jaws pivotally connected at one of their ends and spring connected at their other ends, wear strips removably positioned in said jaws and retained within the Jaws by the spring that connects the jaws, and a cam manually rotatable between the jaws for engaging the wear strips to urge the jaws apart.

2. A chock block comprising upper and lower channel shaped jaws, a plate terminally pivoted and slidably secured to one end of the jaws, a spring connecting the other ends of the jaws and urging the jaws together, an upper plate fixed in the upper jaw, a lower plate fixed in the lower jaw, said plates having registering openings therein, a wear strip in the upper jaw overlying the upper plate, a plurality of juxtaposed wear strips in the lower jaw overlying the lower plate, and a cam positioned in said registering openings and manually rotatable against the wear strip in the upper jaw and one of the wear strips in the lower-jaw for. urging the jaws apart.

3. In a double deck stock car includin a pair of parallel horizontal channels mounted on the side walls of the car above the floor thereof and facing inwardly toward the center of the car and a plurality of planks extending laterally 01' the car and between the channels and having their ends received in the channels, a chock block to prevent endwise movement of the planks in one direction comprising a slide received in each channel, each of said slides including a pair of coacting gripping jaws disposed one above the other for gripping the upper and lower inside faces of the channel, and a manually rotatable cam disposed between the jaws for forcing the same apart and against the upper and inside faces of the channel, whereby said jaws serve as an abutment for a plank.

4. In a double deck stock car including a pair of parallel horizontal channels mounted on the side walls of the car above the floor thereof and facing inwardly toward the center of the car and a plurality of planks extending laterally of the car and between the channels and having their ends received in the channels, a chock block for holding the planks in the channels to prevent endwise movement of the planks in one direction comprising a, slide received in each channel, each of said slides including upper and lower jaws and a spring connecting the jaws, and a cam disposed between said jaws for tensioning the spring and for urging-the jaws apart to grip the upper and lower inside faces of the channel in which they are received, whereby said jaws serve as an abutment for a plank.

5. The combination of claim 3 and a plurality of juxtaposed removable spacer strips interposed between one of said jaws and said cam 01 each slide.

ELBERT E. EDWARDS.

No references cited. 

